THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TRADE MISSION: VIETNAM AND BRUNEI APRIL 6-13, 1998 The Commerce Department is organizing a mission of top flight American exporting companies -- winners of The President's "E" Award for Excellence in Exporting -- to explore business prospects in Vietnam and Brunei. This provides an opportunity for smaller highly competitive American traders to introduce their products and services to key officials and prospective business partners. The mission is limited to 12 companies having products and services with market potential in Vietnam and Brunei. A Commerce Department official will accompany the group. ASEAN -- the Association of South East Asia Nations -- continues to be a large and growing regional market for U.S. goods and services. Vietnam and Brunei are newer members. There are especially good market prospects in both countries for telecommunications and computers, health care technologies, building and construction, marine port and shipbuilding, air cargo and materials handling, lodging and restaurant equipment, oil and gas field equipment and services, processed foods, electrical power generation, food processing and packaging. The goal of this "E" Award Mission is to introduce smaller American companies highly experienced in international trade to new markets and business opportunities in Vietnam and Brunei -- to have mission members assess sales prospects and business partners first hand. This mission promotes Secretary Daley's priority of encouraging small and mid-sized American companies to explore new trade openings and test potentially lucrative markets. Mission executives will be introduced to primary decision makers and will have two days of one-on-one meetings with prequalified sales prospects, potential agents, distributors, licensees, joint venture, and other business partners in each city. Participants receive comprehensive briefings from local business executives and other experts on how to do business in Vietnam and Brunei, attend business networking functions, and receive market reports. Meetings with potential business partners may be in a central location or at the potential partner's facilities. Timetable: Monday April 6-7 Business briefings and meetings in Hanoi Tuesday, Wednesday April 8 Travel to Ho Chi Minh City Thursday April 9-10 Business meetings in Ho Chi Minh City Friday, Saturday April 11 Travel to Brunei, Sunday April 12-13 Business briefings and meetings in Brunei Monday Mission concludes recruitment will begin immediately and conclude by March I, 1998. Criteria for Participant Selection: Mission members are to be companies which have won The President's "E" Award for Excellence in Exporting. Company applications will be reviewed by U.S. commercial attache staffs in Vietnam and Brunei for market potential, as they are received -- then accepted on a "first come, first served" basis until March 1, 1998 -- and must include a signed Participation Agreement and Trade Mission Application and the participation fee. This "E" Award Mission will be limited to 12 firms. A company's products or services must have potential in the target markets, and the product or service must either be produced in the United States or, if not, be marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and contain at least 51 percent U.S. content of the value of the finished product or service. Contact Information: Mr. James Price, Telephone: (202) 482-5658, Facsimile (202) 482-1999; E~xport Promotion Coordination, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 2003, Washington, DC 20230.

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